Shujaat invites Fazl to anti-govt alliance

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain met Fazlur Rehman of JUI-F at his residence on Wednesday and extended him an invitation to join the anti-government alliance.The PML-Q delegation included Shujaat Hussain, Mushahid Hussain Syed Ajmal Wazeer and other leaders. During the meeting the Lahore incident was discussed at length. The PML-Q chief also sought Fazl’s support on the 10-point agenda agreed between him and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Tahirul Qadri, for which Fazl sought some time.Addressing media persons after the meeting, Shujaat said that in order to garner support for the 10-point agenda, meetings would be held with the leaders of all the political parties. Speaking about the Lahore incident, he said that he does not trust any commission formed to investigate and determine responsibility in the incident and instead demanded the resignation of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif. Fazl said Tuesday’s episode of violence in Lahore’s Model Town was condemnable and claimed that instead of punishing those responsible, the Punjab government was trying to cover up the incident.He said the country cannot afford chaos and unrest in a situation when the army is busy in an operation in the tribal areas and the country is in a state of war. The JUI-F chief said that Punjab government has not taken strict action after Model Town tragedy and is trying to cover it. He said culprits of Lahore incident must be brought to justice and the government should defuse the situation rather than pouring oil on it. Fazl said compensation is just a government formality, not an alternate of human lives. To a query on ongoing operation in North Waziristan he said his party was not taken into confidence by the government over it.